Mike Sealy, UCLA’s new women’s volleyball coach, thought his UCLA connection had ended.
Sealy played men’s volleyball at UCLA and was an assistant for the women’s squad in 2005. When Kaitlin Sather, a freshman on that 2005 squad, graduated from UCLA after the 2009 season, Sealy was worried the connection to the school for which he played and coached for nearly a decade would be gone.
But now that he is heading the women’s volleyball program at UCLA, where he was born, played and worked, Sealy is excited to be back.
“It’s very surreal … I was just reading the press release and it’s just overwhelming,” the 39-year-old Sealy said Wednesday evening, referring to the full circle his career has made.
Men’s volleyball assistant coach Brian Rofer, under whom Sealy played and coached, said Sealy was the best choice.
“I think that given the opportunity and some time he’s going to build this program to be very, very competitive,” Rofer said.
Men’s volleyball coach Al Scates, who has known Sealy since he began playing for UCLA in 1990, explained that Sealy came from a talented pool of candidates including former players Erik Sullivan, an assistant women’s volleyball coach at Nebraska, and Ricci Luyties, coach of the Southern Mississippi women’s volleyball team.
“All those guys would have been good, but I think Mike Sealy is an excellent choice,” Scates said.
The first-time head coach is scheduled to arrive on campus on March 1. Sealy will take the reins of the program built by former coach Andy Banachowski, who announced his retirement on Jan. 11. In four years as an associate head coach at Hawai’i’s women’s volleyball program, Sealy helped the Rainbow Wahine rise to national prominence, earning a Final Four berth this last season.
“He’s taken Hawai’i to a different level,” senior-to-be Dicey McGraw said. “I think it has a lot to do with Sealy’s coaching style.”
Sealy was an assistant for the women’s program in 2005, during which time he helped recruit McGraw and also assisted the men’s squad from 2003 to 2006.
In his playing days, Sealy was a setter for the Bruins from 1990 to 1993, leading the Bruins to a National Championship in 1993. After graduating, he went on to play professionally abroad and for the U.S. National Team.
“I think I bring a certain wisdom. I think I’ve been the places all the girls are aspiring to be, winning a national championship, having an opportunity to play with the national team or internationally, the challenges that come with being a student athlete,” Sealy said. “I’m 39 but I feel like I was just there as a student athlete, walking in their shoes.”
McGraw added that she is excited to learn from Sealy’s diverse experiences.
“It’s really cool for him to show us the style he played in and what worked well with him,” she said.
Junior-to-be Lainey Gera said she is excited for the prospect of hearing about Sealy’s international playing experiences, something she hopes to do after graduating. She added that Sealy’s varied background will be a change from the days of Banachowski, who coached at UCLA for the entirety of his 43-year career.
“He will bring more variety,” Gera said of Sealy. “His background will bring us so much. From Andy we have a one-person view. It’s been his old ways since forever ago. But now, having someone with so many different backgrounds and so many different opportunities he’s had, it’s going to really help us learn really differently.”
Junior-to-be Katie Camp said Sealy’s time at UCLA makes him a favorable hire to lead the program.
“I think anybody who comes here should know the Bruin way, the Bruin model, and who better to know it than someone who played here, someone who coached here,” Camp said.
Sealy is indeed familiar with UCLA. In addition to being born at the hospital and growing up in nearby Santa Monica, he frequented the Rose Bowl during UCLA’s successful run in the 1980’s. Sealy’s father played on the baseball team and his brother even attended the university.
For McGraw, an outside hitter, Banachowski’s departure has been especially upsetting; her former coach retired just months before the start of her senior season.
“If there is one person to take (Banachowski’s) spot, I definitely think Mike Sealy is the person to take his spot.” McGraw said.
“I’m excited ““ ecstatic actually to get a chance to work with him my senior year.”
With reports by Vidur Malik, Bruin Sports contributor.